Map-king bivalves



MLC. y R. ARMSTRONG.

MARKING B!VALVES.-

APPucATioN man 00T.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

(l Houmt() @Uitl/mosca:

MATTHEXV C. ARMSTRONG ABU) RICHARD ARMSTRONG, OF HA'METON, VIRGINIA.

-ARKNG BVALVES.

Specification of Letters Eatent,

Patented Aug. 22, i916.

Application led October 27, ll. Serial No. 797,592.

useful improvement-s in Marking Bivalves,

`o which the following is a specilication,

reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to the marking of oysters, clams, and other. bivalves in such manner that an identifying device, symbol, or mark placed thereon shall remain on the vart on which the edible portion oi the ivalve is served and in such place that'it be seen readily by the person before Whom the same is placed.

As is well known, it is a coinnion practice ainong seine restaurateurs and others to serve on th hait-shell to customers other than 'the particular brandor lrind of oysters or other biyalves ordered, and the ordinary customer has no Way oli knowing that he is getting' what his order calls for.

This invention contemplates the attachment or" an identifying device on the soc'alled unde portion of the shell of a bivalve upon which the edible portion is served in such manner that it will indicate to the purchaser its origin or kind.

The device is so placedithat it will stay in place dirring` shipment before theI shells are opened and in such position that it is risible 'both before and after a bivalve is opened and displayed on the half-shell.

lVhen read in connection with the description herein, the characteristics ot the invention v-:ill be apparent troni the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof, wherein the invention is exeinpliiied in association v with an oyster, but it is to be understood that it is equally applicable to other bivalvcs.

Like reference characters rel'er to corresponding' parts in the views ot' the drawing,

whichl `iIure l is a plan view of an oyster prepared i'or application of an identification de.- vice the"to; lfig. 2 is a plan View of an an idcntiiicatien device applied r. il is a plan view of the oyster with its top shell rcinoredj and Fig. Ll; is a plan view oi an identification device.

ln carrying-j out the invention, a hole ie bored through, otherwise made in, the

under part oi the shell, at a place that is outside of, or in that portion ot its area that is not lapped by, the upper part of the shell. lreferablythe hole is placed at a place beyond the ligament or hinge connecting the upper and lower parts ot the sllclh'as shown at 5, care being taken not to pierce or otherwise interfere with the hinge or upper part ot' the shell, in order that the edible contents of the-shell may not be. injured. The hole so formed affords means for attaching an identitication device or mark to thc shell.

rlhe invention further comprises the use of an identification device of the general characteristics of that shown by Fig. 4, which includes a head or enlarged portion adapted to bearany suitable marks, words, or the like, and ashank i adapted to be disposed in the. hole in the shell and operating io hold the head in place.

Preferably the device is inode of comparatively thin material, such as pliable sheet metal, whereby the tree end ot' the shank, after being passed through the hole, may be bent or turned to hold the device in place, but it is not the intention to be restricted necessarily to the use of exactly that forni ol device. Usually the head portion is ot such size that it will extend beyond the end o1c the shell and can be seen from all sides before the bivalve to which it is secured is opened.

It will be apparent that the device is unniistahubly visible when the under part of the shell is lying` outside down as is the case aitcr the bivalve is opened and the contents thereotx are in that, part of the shell and ready to be catcn, and that the marker is not hidden from view as it would be il" it were applied to the under surface ol the major portion ot the under part of the shell.

The hole having been `toi-ined in the shell, the marker or idcntilicatimi device is applied to the shell by passing;` the shank into or through the hole, and thereafter detiecting or bending the free end of said shank substantially as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, whereby the marker is held securely in place.

llyreason oitl our novel construction and collocation of the identifying device with respect to the portion ot the shell of the bivalve outside of or beyond the ligament or hinge thereof, which connects the upper and lower parts ot the shell, it willl be apparent that the. bivalre will be uninjured during or by the application oi' the identifying device thereto. Furthermore, the identification device will be effectively retained in position during shipment and will not become readily disconnected during handling, and will be readily Visible to the opener both before and after the bivalve is opened, and when the bivalve is served on the half shell the latter together with its identifying device will appear substantially as shown in Fig. 8, so that the consumer can see that he has been served with exactly what he ordered.

lVe are the first in the art to apply to an oyster or other bivalve in -the manner described, an identification device of any character which will bevisible to 'the opener during and after the bivalve is opened and which will be also visible to the consumer, when the oyster ispserved on the half-shell, and our claims are therefore entitled to the broad interpretation which is accorded to.

Vpresent instance, shown and described pre tcrrcd embodiments thereoiLI which will givein practice satisfactory and reliable resnlts,

. we claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, iSv- L Means :for identifying oysters consistn ing of a tag attached to that part of the shell on which theoyster is to be served at a point outside of the ligament or hinge of said oyster, whereby when the oyster is opened, said tag remains attached to the part to be served. v

2. An improvement in the art of identifying oysters whichconsists in attaching a tag'to that part of the shell on which the oyster is to be served at a point outside of the ligament or hinge of said oyster, Whereby when the oyster is opened, said tag remains attachedito the part to be served.

In testimony whereof, We have affixed our signatures in the presence .of two witnesses.

Marrieinw o. annsrnono. mennen AnMsTnoNo.

lWitnesses z M. B. Tienen, C. B. SINcLAm. 

